G is for Grueby Pottery

Courtesy Treadway/Tommey Galleries

Courtesy artpotteryblog.com

Grueby Pottery began in Boston, MA , 1894, as the Grueby Faience Company producing terra cotta and glazed bricks. It was founded by William H. Grueby (1867-1925) a ceramist who was inspired by the gorgeous French pottery exhibited at the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. Grueby experimented with glaze colors and perfected shades of yellow, aqua and pink, as well as his signature matte green glaze which ultimately catapulted him to success. An exhibition at the Society of Arts and Crafts of Boston in 1897 increased his exposure with the pieces so well received as to be imitated by other Arts and Craft Potters of the time - Hampshire, Teco, Pewabic, Van Briggle, Roseville, Weller, and Rookwood.

Grueby won two Gold Medals and a Silver Medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition, as well as countless accolades at the 1901 Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. By 1905 Grueby Pottery was being sold at the Tiffany Studios in NYC where clients viewed entire rooms on display for purchase. Gustav Stickley also collaborated with the potter at trade fairs. Grueby Art Pottery pieces focused on hand-applied florals stylized during the Arts and Craft movement. This period reflects the movement away from commercial industrialization towards hand crafted art forms and creativity. Due to its popularity Grueby designs and glazes were widely copied and mass produced, ultimately flooding the market with low-cost reproductions and forcing the pottery company into bankruptcy in 1920. Today the pieces are highly collectible, with a lamp that was paired with a Tiffany shade selling at auction for $286,000! Should you decide to collect a piece a Grueby, familiarize yourself with the pieces and their marks before purchasing from a reputable dealer. And, as always, ENJOY the hunt for these absolutely beautiful pieces of American Arts and Craft history, sure to grace your home with style!